Sugarcane cultivation in Sylhet region on rise with better returns
Our Correspondent | Friday, 11 January 2019
SYLHET, Jan 10: Sugarcane farming has been increasing day by day in Sylhet region although it was almost non-existent here just years ago.
As the situation is changed many people have started producing 'gur' (molasses) locally in different areas of Sunamganj and Habiganj districts for the last few years, a number of farmers and DAE officials informed.
According to the DAE officials, this year sugarcane has so far been cultivated on about 354 hectares this year in Sunamganj, Habiganj and Moulvibazar districts of the division. It includes 26 hectares in Moulvibazar, 190 hectares in Habiganj and 138 hectares in Sunamganj district. Last year it was 250 hectares.
However, some people cultivate it on their homesteads for chewing the juice and local sale. Terming the figure as conservative an official said, it would increase more in the coming months.
A good number of small and family-based units are producing 'gur' from their own crop lands in Tahirpur and and Biswambharpur upazilas of Sunamganj, on the Meghalaya border. Almost same thing is there in Habiganj district.
A well-to-do farmer Abdul Hasib of Golapganj upazila in Sylhet said not many farmers were interested in sugarcane as the crop takes a long period of about 10 months to harvest. But, even then many people are coming up with the high yielding variety farming of the crop. Each and every part of sugarcane plant is usable, he said.
Additional Director of DAE, Sylhet divisional office Md Altabur Rahman said normally some farmers do cultivate it mainly for chewing the juice and for local sale.